Free up your home while fattening your wallet with these tips

A yard sale is the more traditional and oldest form of clearing out home and garage. (Ariel Skelley/Getty Images)

Another holiday season is over. Trees are out by the curb, leftovers are a distant memory and most of the holiday lights have been taken down and put away for another year.

But then there's the issue of incorporating all the new gifts received into the same overcrowded space that existed before the holidays.

The solution? Clean it up and clear it out.

It's never been easier. Today's options include hosting a yard sale, selling on eBay and listing items on Craigslist, a free classified ad website.

CRAIGSLIST

Paul Michael, senior writer for the Los Angeles-based website WiseBread: Living Large on a Small Budget, said he has great luck purging his unwanted items while discovering amazing finds using Craigslist and other online tools.

“In the past, I have used Craigslist to buy items that I could not find via conventional methods,” Michael said. “There is a site called adhuntr.com that lets you search every Craigslist site in America, and even the world. I found some great, rare collectibles that way. I've also used Craigslist to buy and sell used baby gear, often making back the same money that I spent. So in effect, I spent nothing on things like baby swings, high chairs, cribs and so on. The same goes for exercise equipment and many other things we need. Buy used, sell when done, the margins are incredible.”

Michael has since compiled a list of nine tips to help others be successful using the popular site:

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Repost to keep your ad on top: Buyers don't want to go through pages and pages of old posts, and if you wait 30 days to repost (the time is takes for your ad to expire), it could take a long time to get it sold. If you haven't had a response within a few days of posting, it's probably time to repost.

Always post a good image: Post good, clear, crisp color photos of the item. We're visual creatures. The majority of people will click on image-based ads first.

Don't put a question in the headline: If you're selling something tangible like a home, a car or an object you don't want anymore, it is strongly suggested to keep the headline purely informational.

Be specific: Remember, you're trying to sell something that people will have to go out of their way to come to collect. Before they spend the time and the gas money to travel to your home or place of business, they want to know as much as possible about the item.

Do your homework: Spend some quality time on Craigslist. Search the ads, and see what similar items are going for. Do you see an item that has been posted over and over? What was wrong with it? Why didn't it sell? Price too high? No pictures or bad pictures? Once you get the lay of the land, you should be able to write a compelling ad.

Make sure the price is right: Factor in the fact that most Craigslist buyers will try to knock the price down. Take the firm price and add 20-25 percent. (Not applicable for things such as homes or cars.) Most important: cash only, preferably in $20 bills or less.

Pair up items that go together: Tables and chairs. Crib and changing table. Desk and chair. Chances are if someone's looking for one, they may need the other. Offer a discount for taking both, and mention, if applicable, that they can be split.

Be an eager beaver: Craigslist sellers increase the chances of selling if emails or calls are returned promptly. Many buyers blast several emails out to different sellers, and the first one to respond gets the sale.

Consider trades: If there's something you want that's as good as cash, add it to the post.

“I made the list because I noticed some frustrations with some sellers and buyers, and they could all be sorted out if they just knew how to be a good seller,” he said. “I think when people obey these rules, they get a much better experience out of it. Of course, there will always be bad apples to ruin the bunch, but if you are careful, you should be fine.”

Michael likes the ease of Craigslist.

“It's a fantastic way to reach a large number of potential buyers, or sellers, in one quick and easy post,” he said. “And when you need extra money quick, it's very easy to list something you don't need and sell it.”

Making some extra cash, or getting a bargain is great, but safety should always come first. Unlike eBay, where one-on-one meetings are unlikely, or a populated garage sale, Craigslist has an element of risk.

“It's not usually a problem on low-end items, but even then, take precautions when meeting anyone whom you don't know,” Michael said. “If you are having them come to your home, don't be alone if you can avoid it. Size them up if you have to let them in, for a piece of furniture or something like that. If you are meeting someone, try to take a friend with you. If it's for a large item, like a car, you need to take extra precautions. People have been robbed when showing up to buy a car, which was merely bait for a trap. Others have had cars stolen. My best advice is to email back and forth, call if you can, and maybe even do a little Googling on the person if you're unsure. Remember, when in doubt, always back out.”

EBAY

Another way to shed some unwanted goods, in a more arm's-length way, is through eBay Inc., an American multinational Internet consumer-to-consumer corporation, headquartered in San Jose. Inland Valley resident Debbie Carter has been an eBay merchant since 2001 and says though she loves her work, it's not as easy as it may look.

“Ebay is not rocket science, but it is very, very time consuming, if you do it right,” wrote Carter in an email interview.

Included in Carter's process is finding the right stuff, taking pictures, writing listings, figuring in the shipping, answering questions from potential buyers, packing sold items and going to the post office up to six days a week.

Carter started slowly, just wanting to get rid of a few things.

“I used to restore dolls and some toys and resell them with the Kiwanis Club four times a year,” she wrote. “After that ended, I started selling off things I didn't need anymore. Then, when we lost my father-in-law in 2003 (we lost mom-in-law in 1999), I started selling some of their more collectible items. I was working full time at the time, so it was a lot of late nights and all weekend. Right now I sell whatever I think will sell.”

Carter is rated as a Power Seller and a Top Seller.

“That means that I have excellent feedback and sell a lot,” she said. “It also means I sell at a decent price. Doesn't mean I make a bunch of money.”

Carter explained eBay charges several fees including a listing fee, a percentage of the sale price and a percentage of the shipping cost. If PayPal is used to collect payment, there will be another fee based on the sale price.

“It's not free and it's not cheap, but eBay still has the biggest market presence out there. Amazon is a close second,” she said.

“Making a career out of eBay was a fluke,” she wrote. “Most people do it to supplement incomes. Most sellers are not professionals. You need to have a lot of patience. Even one negative feedback can ruin your record (depending on how much you sell every month). The lower your feedback percentage rating, the lower on the search you are. Someone types in “Disney Toy Story bank” in the eBay search engine ... dozens of pages can come up of sellers selling those. If your record is good, you are on the first few pages.”

A few things Carter believes important for every eBay seller include:

Know the rules of the site, be patient, be professional and be honest.

Take good pictures and know how to download them from camera to computer, and make sure the file used is compatible with eBay. Listing without pictures is not allowed anymore.

Write good, clear descriptions with precise measurements.

Pack items well and with care. All sellers are required to have a return policy. Selling items “as is” is no longer allowed.

Adding one more layer of protection, Carter has tracking numbers on all her shipments.

“If you cannot prove it got there, you will have to either send another, or do a full refund,” she said.

“YARD SALES

A yard sale is the more traditional and oldest form of clearing out home and garage.

Beverly Hills-based Century 21 Yarrow & Associates Realtor Diona Miller has aided many such sales and has compiled a list of tips to turn anyone's castoffs into cash.

Check with your city government to see if you need a permit or license.

See if neighbors want to participate and have a “block” sale to attract more visitors.

Advertise. Put an ad in free classified papers, put up signs and balloons at major intersections and in stores near your home.

Price items ahead and attach prices with removable stickers. Remember, yard sales are supposed to be bargains, so don't try to sell anything of significant value this way.

Check items before the sale to be sure you haven't included something you want by mistake.

Keep pets away from the sale.

Display everything neatly and individually so customers don't have to dig through boxes.

Have an electrical outlet so buyers can test appliances.

Have plenty of bags and newspaper for wrapping fragile items.

Get enough change, and keep a close eye on your cash.

Of course if selling is not your thing there are plenty of charitable organizations that will gladly accept donations, and several offer curbside pickups. And if parting with books is just too difficult, mailing them to a family member has never been cheaper with the U.S. Postal Service's Media Mail rate.